


The Hero With Crimson Eyes

by Agraulis_vanillae



Series: The Crimson Saga [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Children, F/F, Gen, Gods, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Lamia, M/M, Monsters, Mythology - Freeform, Original Character(s), Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Papyrus - Freeform, Puppypuff, Rape Recovery, Romance, Sans - Freeform, Sequel, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Swapfell Papyrus - Freeform, Underfell Papyrus, Underswap Papyrus, Underswap Sans
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-31 03:01:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12123084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agraulis_vanillae/pseuds/Agraulis_vanillae
Summary: Set in a world of gods and monsters, a land in chaos cries out for a hero-...Hm..? This summary seems familiar... but really, doesn't any good adventure start much the same way?What do you mean that summary is derivative?!!





	1. Prologue

In the world of demons, angels, monsters, and even gods and humans, there were few who dared to approach the lamia. They were solitary creatures, rumored to have been born of a woman that had devoured her child such as the titan that devoured his sons from the womb. Such a horrific tale did not endear the lamia to other races- and it suited lamias just fine. They were not gregarious by nature, only by a strict dominance hierarchy can lamias be able to tolerate the presence of others of their own kind.

 

In that sense, Slim was lucky to have grown up at all, as he was unable to strike out on his own and lived purely by the grace of his brother. His brother not only tolerated his presence, but guarded him fiercely from any other creature that could threaten his painfully weak HP. In the far reaches of the forested mountains, there would be no coming back should an injury turn septic. They lived deep within a cave nestled within the tallest peak, sunbathing on the heated rocks overlooking the precipice. Few could disturb them without finding themselves at great disadvantage in their own home, and his brother knew the mountain range like no other.

 

Black’s defenses were not perfect however, and it was through this particular gap  that Slim encountered his first monster in the stream one fateful morning. He’d been soaking in a hollow behind the waterfall, well hidden save for the occasional gleam of his wine-colored scales reflecting the early light when he moved. Once he began getting cold, he’d drifted out from behind the waterfall lazily, enjoying the light radiating from the Great Heat in the sky. 

 

“W-WOWIE…”

 

One utterly unexpected word echoed through the woods and reached Slim in a murmur. He whiplashed violently to duck under water and found the unexpected presence through the burbling river water. A tall skeleton monster in white armor and a red scarf stood there at the banks looking equally shocked, with comically bugging eyes staring at Slim through the water. He choked back a unexpected laugh at his expression only to realize that he’d been seen, hissing involuntarily, the air bubbling up before Slim slowly rose up in the water.

 

“who..?”

 

“OH NO! I DIDN’T MEAN TO INTERRUPT- IT’S JUST- YOU JUST SORT OF APPEARED AND YOU’RE KIND OF NAKED?!!” The monster fell back onto his tail-bone, with a intense flush appearing on his cheekbones.

 

“you… where did you come from?” And how did he get here? He silently added.

 

“I COME FROM THE TOWN BELOW, AT THE FOOT OF THE MOUNTAINS!” the monster straightened up to his full height. “NATURALLY, I WALKED HERE ON FOOT IN SEARCH OF BUILDING MATERIALS.”

 

Sure enough, there was a pile of wood, as well as a knapsack and a handsaw on the ground a little ways from the river. The skeleton continued talking, loud and brash, “I DIDN’T EXPECT TO COME ACROSS ANYONE THIS FAR UP INTO THE MOUNTAINS THOUGH… TELL ME, WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?”

 

Was he dense? It seemed that this monster didn’t recognize a legendary creature when he saw one. Slim could feel himself relaxing somewhat, his guard lowering in response to those guileless eyes. “i am… a lamia. not a monster such as you.” He moved to float on his back in the water, considering just letting the river wash him away from the unexpected conversation. He could feel himself getting a little colder in the water, sleepier.

 

“DO LAMIA WEAR CLOTHES? I SEE NO GARMENTS NEARBY. IF YOU’D LIKE, I CAN LEND YOU SOMETHING OF MINE!” The stranger turned his back to dig at something in the large knapsack. 

 

Slim sunk into the water, letting his face and body submerge until his back was brushing against the bottom of the riverbed, mud and detritus drifting around him. He could still feel the vibrations from the monster’s voice transmitting through the relative stillness of the water. After a few minutes, the vibrations stopped, and started again haltingly. It fell quiet, except for the wash of the stream, and then the vibration begun again in fading intervals until it seemed that the presence had gone away. Slowly, Slim re-emerged from the river, almost in a trance from how much cold the river transmitted through his body. 

 

The morning light had intensified into a steady warmth, though the breeze made him feel colder as he slithered from the water. At first, he failed to notice an object left by the river’s edge, but hs brushed against the smooth texture, and turned to find a heavy sleeping bag. He fit this inside that rucksack? It was large, not quite so large that Slim could curl up in it completely, but… it was well-insulated. There was a hastily scrawled note weighed down by a rock on the top-

 

YOU MUST BE SHY MEETING WITH THE GREATNESS THAT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, BUT HAVE NO FEAR! (ESPECIALLY SEEING AS YOU WERE NAKED AND ALL…) I PROMISE NOT TO LOOK WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION AGAIN, AS THE FIRST TIME YOU’D APPEARED OUT OF NOWHERE AND HAD TAKEN ME BY SURPRISE! IN THE MEANTIME, YOU CAN BORROW MY SLEEPING BAG UNTIL YOU CAN FIND YOUR CLOTHES AGAIN! WHAT A COOL GUY I AM!

 

P.S.- I REALLY AM TRULY SORRY ABOUT PEEPING! I HOPE I DIDN’T LEAVE A BAD IMPRESSION, UNBEFITTING OF ONE AS GREAT AS MYSELF!

 

-THE GREAT PAPYRUS

 

Heh, what an idiot. He wouldn’t be surprised if Black found him and broke his bones for intruding on their territory, and he even left a item with his scent for his brother to track… it would be so easy…

 

He dragged the sleeping bag a ways, near the center of his brother’s territory to sunbathe, and pulled the sleeping bag over his face for a few moments to catch the skeleton’s scent. Despite the heat of his favorite rock burning into his back pleasantly, warmed by the sun over the course of the day, he thought of the moon up in the night sky that sometimes glowed gently in the morning before disappearing completely. Was this what the moon smelled like then? He discovered a zipper in the side of the bag, and soon was able to convert the awkward insulated sleeping bag into a large blanket that he could mostly curl under in the afternoon light. 

 

His brother was not particularly impressed by the news that a monster had made it past him, but his bad temper was soothed by the skeleton leaving behind the blanket. His midnight scales glittered under the star’s light as Black joined him underneath the blanket, relaxing notably under the captured warmth that radiated from the rock still, conceding after a few minutes, “I WILL FORGIVE HIS TRANSPASSING TODAY, FOR LEAVING BEHIND SUCH A USEFUL GIFT. NEXT TIME IF HE DARES APPEAR, THERE WILL BE TROUBLE.”

 

Neither of them had actually expected him to show up again. After all, Slim had bluntly told Papyrus that he was a lamia, and lamia have not made friends with any other living creature for hundreds of years. It simply wasn’t done, and no one was foolish enough to try.

 

Save for this one idiot who showed up every morning by the river now, holding a new sunflower each time. 

 

Each time, Black threatened and postured, ready to catch him in a deadly trance so that he could squeeze the life out of him or envenomate his frail skeletal body. Each time, Papyrus chatted through it, disarming and charming them both with tales of his town and his life, until one day they’d counted the sunflowers and realized that he’s trespassed and survived for a whole month. Each month, coming more and more to expect the strange monster that had treated them like they were simply monsters as well.

 

Then he failed to show up by the river one day. Black huffed, “FINALLY, HE GOT THE MESSAGE! NOW HE’LL NEVER… COME BACK.”

 

They were quiet that night, ill at ease with their newfound solitude. If Black spoke, it was to snap at Slim and Slim did not speak at all, merely throwing away the oldest of the wilted sunflowers. He made a point to do so every night, feeling a little colder in that blanket, until he was down to three sunflowers. Black told him he should just throw them all away at once and be done with it.

 

Another day passed.

 

Then another.

 

The last day, he held the last sunflower restlessly, unable to bring himself to toss it just yet. He settled for picking off petals instead, one for each hour that passed as he failed to sleep that night. He visited the river, and prepared to toss the withered petals in when he felt the familiar reverberations of footsteps approach.

 

“... black’s going to kill you for showing up again, after all this time.” He offered the eviscerated sunflower a tight smile, knowing that he was projecting onto his brother, as the presence drew near.

 

“I’M SO SORRY, I NEEDED TO GET SOMETHING! IT TOOK ME LONGER THAN I THOUGHT, BUT I HOPE YOU’LL STILL ACCEPT IT!” The monster- no, Papyrus- knelt on one knee to offer a small box.

 

“this seems awfully small compared to those great big flowers you’re always bringing by.” Slim remarked, reluctantly taking the box into his hands to examine it. Upon opening it, a golden flower ring on a delicate chain tumbled out. “this is… what?”

 

“I COULDN’T ASK FOR YOUR RING SIZE WITHOUT SPOILING THE SURPRISE, SO I HAD TO WORK A LITTLE HARDER SO I COULD GET THE CHAIN TOO. LUCKILY, I KNOW THE MONSTER WHO MAKES THESE, SO THEY WERE ABLE TO ADD IN A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA!”

 

Papyrus made a big show of opening the clasp of the chain, which was shaped in a snake’s head with a movable jaw, and offered wordlessly to place it over Slim’s neck who looked at him blankly. “i don’t… understand?”

 

Papyrus cleared his throat, and puffed his chest out in a show of confidence that clearly did not reflect in his face. “I MUST CONFESS TO SOMETHING THAT I’VE BEEN HOLDING DEEP IN MY CHEST- NO, SOUL EVEN?!! I’VE BEEN WANTING TO BE ABLE TO… HOLD YOUR HAND! A-AND… OH BOY- IS IT HOT OUT HERE?- AND I WANT TO SEE YOU EVERY MORNING! AND YOU MUST FEEL THE SAME WAY TOO, SEEING AS IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NONETHELESS… I WANTED TO ASK FOR YOUR CONSENT…”

 

From here, words seemed to fail Papyrus, as they failed Slim. Consent… to become romantically involved? He really didn’t… see a difference between them, did he? “you really are…”

 

“-ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!” his brother comes breaking through the brush,the intrusion unexpected though Slim has caught his scent sometime before Papyrus appeared. “YOU DISAPPEAR FOR OVER A MONTH, AND COME BACK TO TRESPASS ON MY TERRITORY TO PROPOSE TO MY BROTHER?!! HE SHOULD STRANGLE YOU RIGHT NOW WITH YOUR OWN DAMN CHAIN!”

 

“it’s okay m’lord…” he stopped his brother mid-temper tantrum by pushing the necklace, ring catching the light, back to Papyrus. “if you both don’t mind… i’d like some time. but… could you maybe… bring some more sunflowers?”

 

~~~

 

There was very little Swap cared about after the ritual was completed.

 

There’d been no chance to hide his pregnancy after the ritual, and it was advancing so quickly that he couldn’t attempt to get rid of it even if he wanted to. Blue had taken the week off from the guard to spend every waking moment with him, cooking and cleaning, and even making him bathe and wear fresh clothes each day. He couldn’t say no or give into his nihilism when Blue was doing his damndest to look after the ‘both’ of them. It was probably only for Blue’s constant warmth and support that Swap hadn’t fallen that summer, though he considered it partially just to spite the god that had done this to him.

 

Now that months have passed, fall already threatening to give into winter in their prosperous village. His violently shifting mood swings deepened as he contemplated his swollen belly with crushing resignation. After Blue mentioned building a nursery out of the spare bedroom and getting ready to welcome a third monster into the family, he needed space to think and decided to head to bed early. 

 

Questions suddenly swirled through his skull with rising intensity that he’d never given a single thought to before, never even deemed it necessary, even as he had made those first fateful steps inside the fertility temple.

 

What’s their name going to be?

 

Where were they going to have the money to raise a child?

 

_ How _ was he going to raise this child?

 

Children wasn’t anything he was prepared for, as his hands was full with working two to three part time jobs, free time was spent with his brother, and everything was snoozing and snacking in between. There was nothing in his experience that could’ve possibly prepared him for this… it was forced onto him. Yet, he felt how small the soul that grew close to his was, how delicate the tiny pulse was. When he was lying in bed for longer than two hours and failing to go to sleep, he pulled up his shirt just to watch it. Poking at his belly, he watched the combined souls shift away automatically in the nourishing ectoplasm of his body. Maybe he was projecting a little, but the little crimson soul seemed as shy and every bit as unprepared for this event, so vulnerable as it remained visible as they developed more and more every moment. Certainly, they couldn’t be prepared for being conceived by a mother who couldn’t even take care of himself and a father who…

 

He cut that thought off abruptly and violently, his eye lights guttering out as he clenched his hand over the large pocket in front of his jacket and pulled the hoodie back down.

 

Anyways.

 

He relaxed his tight grip on the material and pressed his shaking palm gently underneath his hoodie, against his stomach as he thought. The child will be born into this world of theirs, their bones soft and their soul unprotected from magical and emotional attack for years. If he couldn’t endure his depression to take care of himself, then he would have to do it for his kid. Someone has to protect them, he thought as he swung upright to look out his window. 

 

His hand slid down the swell of his stomach and cupped under supportively as he looked out into the cool autumn night. He resisted the urge to reach for a cigarette when he saw the poppies peaking up persistently from the thick layer of frost encrusted on the ground.

  
Someone that wasn’t  _ him _ .


	2. Several Years Later...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Poppy as he does his best to be a bone-a fide badass, and falls just a little short.

_ CRK! _

 

The snap of bone breaking was the only thing that warned Poppy before his blue magic dissipated uselessly. He nearly flinched by the sheer shock of it, but caught himself just in time to think of who he was defending. The person that Poppy had knocked free of the other monster’s grasp currently lay prone behind him, unmoving even as he placed himself in the middle of the confrontation. He gripped the bone construct, feeling sweat slick the hold and he readjusted as he took stock of the situation. 

 

The monster before them was no ordinary opponent according to his CHECK, but a hawk creature with a full century of experience on him and more LOVE than he was accustomed to seeing.

 

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” The monster warbled gratingly- a odd lilt to their tone that Poppy wouldn’t be able to identify as soothing until later when he looked back on the event. “You’re interfering in an old grudge between families that is none of your business. Just leave the wretched creature to me and go home youth.”

 

Despite their words, the air around them shifted as they charged with  _ No Mercy _ , and Poppy parried the force back yet buying himself only a little space. Their eyes bearing down into his with cold calculation, and he felt a mix of panic and outrage at being pushed back so easily begin to bubble forth. 

 

He pulled his left hand back in a fist and struck out blindly. The bird diverted his attack with a sweep of the wing and pulled up a taloned claw to strike at his ribcage. 

 

Agonizing pain radiated from the ripping across his ribs, causing Poppy to shriek, though he was hardly aware of making such a sound as he was already rolling onto the ground and twisting to kick out from underneath the bird in a flailing assault of bony limbs. 

 

Suddenly the raptor’s weight was off, and Poppy scrambled up from the ground to see that they were caught in a tangle of tangerine magic, netting the furiously spitting monster. Poppy felt his magic pumping rapidly through his marrow to form another sharpened construct though he had no idea what to do next, stalled at the sight of the bird being dragged away from him.

 

The strangely curved bones stabbed into the ground like stakes to secure the net that had swung around the raptor, who was screeching with indignant wrath, wings beating uselessly at the rope pinned around their neck. Their lethal claws would yank upward in preparation to throw off the garrot but caught uselessly in more and more rope that seemed to appear from in between the gently glowing orange phalanges of the skeleton that Poppy had been guarding.

 

“I had not intended for my appearance to be taken as a invasion of territory and for that I apologize, but it’s awfully rude to lie.” They scolded mildly, seemingly unaware of the loosely hanging remains of their gown and the magic staining the fabric from within, they finished securing the trap just as Poppy staggered to their side. Pulling them behind him once more, he glared at the raptor wildly darting against their restraints with a choked shriek.

 

“I have a hard time believing that any monster can attack kids just for stepping onto their land.” Poppy added, snarling. “If you’re going to act like an animal then maybe we should just leave you there like an animal!”

 

He turned to the monster that had constructed such an elaborate trap so quickly, and offered a hand. “Are you okay?”

 

Despite their own injuries, they gave Poppy a bright smile and took his hand to rise up. Their movement seemed impossibly fluid, almost jointless, causing Poppy to question if they really were another skeleton monster. Additionally, they were close to his height whereas Poppy could’ve sworn they were much smaller when he’d first come upon the scene in his search for herbs.

 

Their expression shifted to a look of surprise and defensive anger, giving Poppy only a moment to realize that the sounds of creaking rope and rapid flapping had stopped. He could feel flecks of foamy saliva hitting the back of his skull as the creature screeched, “YOU BRAAATS!!!”

 

He summoned bone constructs and turned to parry the mindlessly enraged monster with his arms up, but just as Poppy was looking straight into his bloodshot eyes, the raptor’s soul suddenly glowed blue in his chest and he was slammed into the dirt at Poppy’s feet. Poppy stepped back to avoid the gnashing of the battle hardened beak with a squeak that he will never admit to making, and then a familiar figure dropped from the trees to step on the bird’s head.

 

“Uncle!” Poppy yelled, eyes wide with shock.

 

“MWEH HEH HEH, HAVE NO FEAR NEPHEW! YOUR MARVELOUS UNCLE BLUE IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!” Blue made a dynamic pose that in any other circumstance Poppy would’ve thought was a little cheesy, but reluctantly Poppy had to admit today his uncle made it work. He grimaced at the thought, and Blue winked. “IS THAT A LOOK OF BEGRUDGING ADMIRATION I SEE?”

 

“NO!” Came Poppy’s immediate denial, and Blue reached over to pull him into noogie reminiscent of the town’s guard leader. The bird monster let out a garbled shriek of distress as he continued to grind his heel into him.

 

“I THINK IT IS! NOW YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTTS TO TOWN FOR SOME MEDICAL ATTENTION.” Blue ordered. After nearly getting skewered and losing his moment of heroism to his pun-cracking uncle, Poppy felt more than ready to call it quits for the day.

 

As he and the skeleton monster he defended went to leave, Blue called one last time. “OH YES, POPPY! NEXT TIME YOU GET IN A FIGHT, MAKE ABSOLUTELY SUPER DUPER SURE THAT THEY STAY DOWN.”

 

Despite the cheerful tone and his fixed grin the stars in Blue’s eyes had guttered out to leave his eyes a darkened hollow, and he lifted his foot up just to stomp hard over the monster’s head. The monster’s body spasmed and then slumped into unconsciousness. He hefted the monster over his shoulder, grinning as if he hadn’t just knocked someone out cold. “NO MORE GETTING ATTACKED AT THE LAST MINUTE FOR YOU, GOT IT?”

 

Poppy knew his uncle to be occasionally scary when he needed to be, usually if Poppy was refusing to do chores around the house or ignoring his parent, but this was the first time he’d ever seen him be truly ruthless.He mumbled abashedly, “Y-yes Uncle.”

 

They returned to town to see the healer- but instead of heading in straight away, he stalled outside the door to his house, shuffling his feet. “So uh, what’s your name?”

 

They looked at him, seeming to measure up his reaction, but with a warm smile they said, “Mama always called me troublemaker but Paps calls me Pandora. I just go by Pan.”

 

Poppy cocked his head to the side. “Isn’t that a boy’s name though? Weren’t you given a girl’s name?”

 

A tad defensively, they responded “I’m not either though. So it’s not really a boy’s or a girl’s name, ‘cuz then it can’t be my name at all.”

 

He couldn’t wrap his mind around the logic, he’d never heard of this before. “So you don’t have either parts? How do you pee?”

 

Pan’s face flushed in angry embarrassment, they shoved him impulsively against his chest, their hands coming off bloody even as Poppy cried out, “Ow, okay okay!”

 

Looking at their hands, they gasped. “Oh stars, I’m sorry! I didn’t even think of your injury!”

 

After the pain stopped pulsating, he gave them a shaky thumbs up. “That’s okay, I didn’t think of your feelings before opening my big mouth either. Sorry, I was kinda rude.”

 

They both stood there, thinking what else to say when Poppy was pulled inside the house with a panicked yelp by his parent, and then Swap’s head poked out the open door with a firm grip on his wayward child and kind tone to the other child. “you’re welcome to come in kiddo, if you don’t mind a bunch of boneheads like us.”

 

Pan blinked owlishly before following them inside with a giggle, examining the cabinet full of small vials and a large bottle with a bubbling solution as they followed their progress to the kitchen table. Once Swap was through cleaning Poppy’s ribs and sternum of any filth or fabric that might’ve clung to the wound, he directed healing magic to expedite his healing process and taped bandages over it. “and with a kiss, it should be gone in a couple of days.”

 

“Ohmystars-mom-no-not-in-front-of-Pan-” Poppy protested and wiggled out of reach before Swap could tap a skele-kiss to his forehead. Chuckling, Swap let him retreat to a safe distance before he gathered some unused gauze and antiseptic to treat Pan. They squirmed in place, and only reluctantly moved forward, ruined shift dragging with them.

 

Sensing this, Swap lightly instructed, “throw the bloody towel in the wash, will you poppy?”

 

“Huh? Why do I have to do anything when I just got hurt?!” Poppy complained, but with a look from Swap, he picked up the towel and shuffled away grumbling. 

 

As Swap carefully separated the cloth from the still oozing wounds, using medicated cotton to push the ruined shift away from the injury, he discovered the cause for Pan’s hesitation. Below the neckline, tangerine colored scales glimmered, some of them crushed into broken flesh by the bird monster’s piercing attack. Further down the torn shift, were their diminutive legs that were tucked in perfectly against Pan’s form, also covered in scales. 

 

Pan wasn’t pure monster.

 

His face giving way to none of his thoughts, he continued treatment as if everything was normal before he finally asked, “your father’s name wouldn’t be papyrus by chance?”

 

“Yes sir.” Pan responded, keeping their eyes carefully trained on a stray sock on the floor. It was covered in sticky notes that traveled across the floor and up the wall.

 

“i see… pan, it appears that you and i would be related. poppy in the room over would be… i think your cousin once removed?” Swap remarked, then chuckling to himself. “nyeh heh heh, i must say, i didn’t really believe papyrus could successfully court a lamia. i guess i owe muffet a few coins for calling her a liar.”

 

Poppy entered the room again, looking a tad peeved to have been sent away when he knew something was up but wasn’t privy to what it was. “it’s done.” He flopped back on the sofa, and glanced over curiously to Pan, looking to them to tell him what was up.

 

“poppy, this is your cousin. please treat them kindly while their father papyrus finishes his business in town.” Swap introduced the two unnecessarily. “pan, this is poppy. he comes from a family of numbskulls, so forgive any rash behavior.” He winked.

 

“I don’t mind, Poppy saved me from another monster after all!” They chirped. “I must thank you both for helping me so much, do you like alfredo noodles?”

 

Swap shrugged, “haven’t tried it myself. maybe you can ask uncle blue once he gets home.”

 

“Mooom he’s not going to be home until he’s finished putting away the bad guy with Alphys!” Poppy groaned. “Stop trying to get out of grocery shopping and just take us already!”

 

~

 

After shopping, Pan shooed both Poppy and Swap out of the kitchen aggressively. “Go on, it won’t be a surprise if you’re watching me make it!”

 

By the time Blue got home, Pan declared their creation done and set the normally white alfredo dish in front of them. Blue looked at it curiously, “DID YOU USE PAPRIKA?”

 

The sauce was a light pink, and for some reason it was boiling away inside the pot still. Pan asked curiously, “What’s paprika?”

 

When he tried to eat a single bite, even after waiting for it to cool down, Poppy choked, “What the heck?! My mouth feels like it’s on fire!!!” and raced to drink the remaining cream that remained in the fridge.

 

“How much cayenne pepper did you put in here..?” Swap asked, attempting to keep an even tone but the profuse amounts of sweat running down his skull gave him away.

 

“Hm? Oh I dunno. I just like how it looks pink like this after I add a bunch.” Pan continued eating normally, watching calmly as Blue fought valiantly to avoid reaching for his glass of water on the first bite.

 

As it turns out, Pan had inherited their mother’s inability to register capsaicin. Swap excused himself, Poppy came back from the fridge looking nauseous and bloated from drinking so much at once, and Blue managed to give a shaky thumbs up with tears pooling in his eyes after slurping all the noodles at once. “IT WAS VERY TASTY PAN..! BUT NOW IT’S BED TIME FOR YOU TWO!”

 

“But it’s only 8 PM-” Poppy argued.

 

“BED!”

 

Poppy had to give his bed to Pan for the night since they didn’t have a extra, but he climbed onto his sill. Growing inbetween the tiles of the roof below the window, were little red poppy flowers, and Poppy took a small watering can to sprinkle water onto his namesake.

 

“Isn’t that bad for the roof?” Pan inquired from behind him, looking almost offended at the structural abuse that Poppy was inflicting on the building. They shrugged Poppy’s blanket over their shoulders just as it started sagging to brush against the floor.

 

“Pft it’s fine, the poppies hold this place together anyways. If you know where to look, there’s roots everywhere.” Poppy dismissed, putting the watering pot down and staring out into the town. Pan shifted in place, and then sat down on the ground close to him. “Hey, why’d I give you the bed if you’re not gonna sleep in it?!”

 

“I’m cold…” Pan mumbled.

 

“You’ve got a blanket.” Poppy scoffed, then reconsidered. “Well… I guess if we’re cousins it’s not weird to share the bed, right?”

 

Pan perked up almost immediately, “Not at al-” and was interrupted by a yawn. Poppy sighed indulgently.

 

“C’mon, you keep the blanket.” He helped them up onto their feet again to climb into bed, and wrap his arms around them. There’s wasn’t much bone contact, but as his forearm brushed Pan’s shift, he could feel the cold sucking his body heat from his arms. “Sheesh, you are cold! How do you survive winter?!”

 

“I go to sleep… for a really long time…” Pan mumbled, burrowing further into Poppy’s side. “Why do you have poppies growing all over your house?”

 

“Oh, my dad grows them. He likes them, says it reminds him of me.” Poppy responded flippantly.

 

“Where’s your dad?” Pan asked. “I didn’t see him at dinner or anything.”

 

“Mom doesn’t talk about it, but I think they don’t really like each other. Or mom doesn’t like him. Dad visits at night sometimes though. He says I have great things ahead of me.”

 

“That’s weird. Why would your mom not like him? Why does your dad do things at night? Mama sometimes gets mad at my dad, but he always comes in the morning with sunflowers and makes it all better again.”

 

“I dunno…”

 

They laid there in silence, soon Pan’s breathing evened out into long deep sighs. Poppy remained awake though, his crimson eyes watching a poppy slowly unfurling from between the floorboards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swap's restraining order includes nightly visits too, sheesh Edge. Stop creeping on your son :P


	3. I Don't Think There's a Guidance Counselor For These Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Swap struggles to find some measure of control in his life.
> 
> Warning: Implied rape, threat of repeat sexual assault, talk of pregnancy and children.

Darkness pressed around him with a unwelcome familiarity that forced a shiver down his spine. He did not want to be here, not now, not ever but he visited the temple every night in his dreams.

 

He was resigned to reliving this invading memory as many times as he will ever sleep.

 

Nonetheless, he stepped forward, listening to the sound echo dryly, the whispering of velvety poppy blossoms and green grass long behind him. After much consideration, the only conclusion he came to was that this temple doubled as catacombs.

 

After all, he buried a part of himself here.

 

After much wandering through hollow halls, the sound of water lapping against stone reached him and as he approached the dimly lit pool, his reflection approached with the ever present spectre hovering behind him.

 

Crimson eyes bore into his own through the reflection, before the very real sensation of arms reaching around his hips, pulling his tailbone up against stiff throbbing heat. He clenched his fists, and hated the weakness showing in his reflection. His fear flashing in his eyes…

 

…and the arousal gleaming in his soul.

 

Swap woke from the dream with magic thumping through his bones, and a curse on the tip of his tongue. He stared at the ceiling, bound and held up by the poppies’ roots that he’d long ago gave up trying to remove. They became part of the foundation of the house ever since he was consecrated the fertility god’s priest.

 

Sounds carried through the floorboards, signifying everyone else was up for the day. He took a deep breath, counted to ten, and slowly worked past his desire to remain in bed for the rest of the day.

 

~

 

“Paps!” Pan chirped happily, before they were scooped up and lifted bodily from the ground by the much taller skeleton.

 

Poppy wasn’t sure he’d seen anyone so tall, and he gaped at the two while Pan’s MUCH louder father cried. “PANDORA DON’T EVER SCARE YOUR MOTHER OR YOUR UNCLE LIKE THAT EVER AGAIN! YOU HAD THEM WORRIED SICK BY DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT.”

 

“Paps, you’re crying hysterically all over me again.” Pan patted the top of his skull gently. “And mama doesn’t worry nearly as much as you do.”

 

“I’M NOT CRYING! THERE’S SOMETHING IN MY EYES!” Papyrus denied, but set his child down gently and started examining them all over, brushing at the wrinkles in their borrowed shift. “AT ANY RATE, YOUR MOTHER DOES WORRY! THEY JUST DON’T ALWAYS SHOW YOU THAT.”

 

“She… doesn’t show it..?” Pan’s gaze flickered away, and the pupils focused sharply into pinpricks. A hand lifted to their chin briefly, contemplative, before the expression faded and they smiled at Poppy. “Poppy, this is Paps. Paps, this is my cousin Poppy! He helped me yesterday when I tried to make friends with a monster.”

 

“That wasn’t a monster, that was some sort of demon with feathers…” Poppy grumbled. He wasn’t expecting Papyrus to grab both of his hands and shake them rapidly.

 

“IT’S GOOD TO MEET SWAP’S SON FINALLY! ESPECIALLY ONE AS KIND AS YOU!” He was pulled into a hug, face squashed flat against Papyrus’s chest, he couldn’t decide if he was annoyed that he was this short compared to Pan’s dad or relieved that his shocked blush was obscured. He pulled away as soon as he was allowed and coughed.

 

“Eh… yeah. Nice to meet you too?”

 

Papyrus turned to Swap, who was smiling gently at the scene. “THANK YOU FOR KEEPING PAN OVER FOR THE NIGHT! UNFORTUNATELY, WORD HAS REACHED ME RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BUSINESS MATTERS. HOWEVER, BLUE REASSURED ME THAT YOU WOULD BE OKAY BOARDING PAN IN THE MEANTIME..?”

 

“ ‘sokay, they were no trouble at all. if anything, poppy might learn some manners, right kiddo?” Swap teased and Poppy stuck out his tongue.

 

“Let’s get outta here, Pan. They’re just gonna sit here and talk adult stuff all day.” Poppy huffed haughtily, and pulled on Pan’s hand. Pan simply waved to their parent cheerfully as they were pulled out into the daylight.

 

Instead of talking all day, Papyrus and Swap joined them later when Poppy and Pan were busy sparring with Blue and Tyra. Tyra was the captain of the town’s guardians and the effects of such a position showed clearly. One of her eyes were scarred shut, but life twinkled fiercely in her open eye and brilliantly golden colored scales. Tyra moved with a speed that was tough to beat, and a hide that absorbed force with very little damage taken. Additionally, she has a nasty battle axe that delivered quite the electric shock should one be unfortunate enough to be struck with the handle. The stunning effect allowed Tyra to subdue enemies non-lethally with a otherwise lethal weapon and it was that which Poppy was still learning to successfully dodge.

 

He had scuttled back on his heels only to fall completely off his balance and flailed in a panic before his tailbone met the ground with bruising force. He rolled as Tyra drove the handle of the axe into the ground where he sat moments before.

 

“Gotta make every movement flow into the next, nerdlet! Or you’re always going to end up bruising your tailbone.” She grinned wolfishly. Poppy narrowly avoided the next swipe of her axe which must’ve taken unbelievable strength for her to whip it back out at him after stabbing the earth as hard as she had. Meanwhile, he noticed that Pan was weaving another one of their traps- he just had to keep her distracted long enough for the twine to hold.

 

In a few moments, Tyra was hopelessly entangled. Papyrus on the sidelines shouted encouragement, pulling Poppy’s gaze to the naturally infectious excitement he exuded but it was his parent’s unreadable expression that held Poppy’s attention. His brows were slightly furrowed upwards, the corners of his mouth turned down. It wasn’t specifically disapproving, but Poppy struggled to name the emotion on Swap’s face that caused his soul to constrict suddenly. He wanted to tell him to join them, to get off his lazy bones and train for once, to enjoy the rush of magic and adrenaline and indulge the liveliness of training-

 

“EYAHHHH!!!” Tyra grunted and with a roar of her distinctive warcry, her muscles bulged into the string with the force of her thrashing, she snapped the trap that Pan sprung. Poppy forgot quite immediately in face of the overzealous lizard coming after him once more with the stunning end of her axe. “EN GARDE!”

 

~

 

Swap wished he could spar with Poppy. Indeed, he had not looked forward to nightfall tonight, as if he had ever wanted to collapse back into bed after escaping it that morning. However, he was not headed for his bed that claimed so much of his life.

 

Instead, it was taking every ounce of his DETERMINATION to approach the familiar marble doorway. He barely remembered the temple looking this way, having never been near this path ever since the ritual over a decade ago.

 

It didn’t take long, though a part of him wished it would. The stone walls facing him seemed impenetrable, though he knew from misfortune that they would open to him and him alone. It was not necessary tonight, and it was the only stroke of luck that he could claim for himself as he waited.

 

Truthfully he did not have to wait long for the presence to make itself known though they remained standing there, the god and his reluctant priest, a pregnant silence swelling between the two.

 

Swap refused to be the first to speak, allowing his long stare to bore into those eyes that haunted his dreams for so long. The god didn’t blink, but he advance slowly, until he was looming over him. He raised one gloved hand to his face only for Swap to swat it away with a irritated hiss between his teeth-

 

“ _D O N ‘ T_.”

 

Undeterred, Fell pressed forward until his chest was touching Swap’s, and he could lean against the wall of his temple. He spoke huskily, “Why not? You’re the mother of my child, and my priest.”

 

“i only came to tell you to stay away from poppy. you are not to influence my son in any way.” Swap shoved roughly to force him back and reclaim his space- before the encroaching panic blurred the corners of his vision and froze him at his core.

 

“WHO’S TO SAY I’VE BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR OUR SON?” The corners of his mouth turned up mirthfully, as if entertaining a private joke, and then he pressed forward again with his hands wrapping around Swap’s hips. Swap’s magic flared angrily to life, and surrounded them both with rapidly spinning bones. Fell stepped back, the mirth falling away as quickly and a genuine frown taking its place.

 

“WHY DO YOU REJECT US, SWAP? YOU’VE SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED AND RAISED OUR CHILD, SOON HE WILL BE OLD ENOUGH TO LEAVE HOME. I HAVE HELD MY OWN END OF THE CONTRACT, THE TOWN PROSPER SURROUNDED BY POPPIES AS THEY MARK WHERE NO OTHER GOD MAY TRESPASS WITHOUT PROVOKING GREAT WRATH FROM MYSELF.”

 

This time when Fell raised his hands to hold Swap’s jaw, Swap could not move him, but was forced to look into the crimson eyes that colored his son’s eyes as well. Fell leaned in, the god’s breath passing over his face. “NOT EVEN THE EXPERIENCE COULD’VE BEEN SO BAD, AS I MADE CERTAIN THAT YOU WOULD NOT EXPERIENCE GREAT PAIN OR INJURY…”

 

When Swap mustered the presence of mind through the sudden cloud of enraged disbelief, he spoke lowly but enunciating deliberately, “you stalked me through those halls. you hunted me like one hunts an animal, watching me bathe, chasing me, and… you…” He gulped and gritted his teeth, moisture rising unbidden in his eyesockets.  

 

“you... raped me. i’ve carried the result of that, without the foggiest clue how to even get out of bed let alone parent. forgive me if i don’t bear the fondest memories of your courtship- if one can call it that.”

 

The ground rumbled with warning, but the god ignored it in favor of grabbing Swap’s wrist while he was trying to pull him away and pulling his hand up to meet with a light kiss. “THEN SAY YES NOW.”

 

“what?!”

 

~

 

Poppy wasn’t sure why he woke up, maybe it was the lack of Pan sleeping in his room, having already left for their village with Papyrus. He sat at his window sill, staring out into the night. He could see flowers blooming all around the village, more so than usual under the full moon. The light of the moon made it almost seem like day, and it was in this that he could see flashes of orange.

 

He blinked.

 

Was he imagining it?

 

~

 

“LET ME TRY AGAIN, WITHOUT THE NECESSARY STEPS OF THE RITUAL TO CREATE OUR BOND AND COLOR YOUR IMPRESSION OF ME. I CAN GO AS SLOW AS YOU NEED-”

 

He suddenly lifted Swap up against the wall, panic striking at his core with intensity as his legs were forced to rest over Fell’s pelvis. The god was now pressed pelvis to pelvis, and whispering huskily, “-AS DEEP AS YOU MAY NEED.”

 

His head began buzzing with a tidal wave resonating through his skull, to take him into a faint so that he might not have to face what comes next, but then _he_ continued.

 

“I COULD FILL YOU UP, SO THAT YOUR BELLY IS SWOLLEN WITH ANOTHER DEMIGOD, A LITTLE GIRL WARRIOR AS FIERCE AS OUR HEROIC SON.”

 

_NO!!! Not again!_

 

Another sudden stab of fear rescued Swap from giving into the panic, and he summoned what little remained of his courage to ACT.

 

Magic crackled around them for a split second, the only warning before the ground erupted with bones all around and Swap disappeared from his grasp only to land on his knees a few yards away. Fell turned only to face the open maw of a floating animal’s skull, earth still crumbling from the open staring sockets and flashing citrine magic.

 

Swap unleashed the blast without hesitation, the direct hit only temporarily stunning the god. While he was recovering, the bones that Swap summoned pinned him into the marble wall of the temple, stabbing directly between the spaces of his ribs and forearms so that Fell could simply watch him breathlessly.

 

“YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL LIKE THIS, ALL SPITE AND FURY.”

 

Swap punched him in the face. “shut up. don’t you ever. ever. touch me again.”

 

The god chuckled breathlessly, unfazed by the blow, “YOU’RE FLUSHED, MY LOVELY PRIEST. DOESN’T MY DEAR PROTEST TOO MUCH?”

 

Venomously, Swap declared, “if it weren’t for my brother, i would’ve killed myself and our child. I didn’t want our son then, and i certainly don’t want another child now. i promise you, we will never bear another again.”

 

In the silence that followed his words, Swap didn’t expect to hear a twig snapping in the background though Fell didn’t react. He whirled in place, magic still rushing in a torrent through his skull, and only barely caught sight of the gangly figure fleeing. It took him a few moments to comprehend who, but when he did, everything he’d summoned disappeared as he blanched in horror.

 

_Poppy_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been awhile since I've last posted anything, it's just been my first go with working during holiday months plus my first attempt at NanoWriMo, so I've been pretty tapped. I'm pretty excited to keep this story going, and I've got Colby to egg me on with their Secret Santa gift art! Consider this little bit of purity a cure for all the dark themes in this chapter haha.  
> https://colbypuppythebaker.tumblr.com/post/169099944969/secret-santa-gift-for-agraulisvanillae-have-some

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'd like to dedicate this particular plotbunny to Colby. We started talking about the child that would be born from "A Crimson Bloom Like His Eyes" and got me going about the idea of a mythological adventure story. So here we are!


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